good morning, america. breaking news. bombshell twist in the case of oscar pistorius. the lead detective to be facing seven accounts of murder himself. will he now be dropped from the case? and does it taint the evidence he gathered against the olympic hero? also breaking. a massive winter storm slamming half the country. 30 million people in its path. 20 states, from new mexico to virginia, under watches and warnings right now. up to a foot of snow expected. caught on tape, parent outrage at the airport. the 3-year-old girl drying in her wheelchair during a run-in with the tsa. her mom captures it all on camera. did they go too far with little

lucy? or were they just doing their job? breaking overnight, lady gaga says she's fine. the superstar just emerging from major surgery, hospitalized for her hip injury. now revealing how she's feeling. and the big question, now, will she dance again? and good morning, america. happy thursday to all of you. and thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday. what a special reunion. robin, back, five months to the day of her bone marrow transplant. now, just another thursday, robin. >> that's exactly what i want. so quiet when i walked in this morning. and i was thankful for that. and thankful for everything we did yesterday. it was a real blessing all the way around. thank you. >> great day, indeed. we're going to show you all something you didn't get a chance to see, if you were not

watching yesterday. this is a true behind-the-scenes look, of what goes on before the show goes on the air. >> a lot of jumping. >> we were very, very, very excited. >> sam, the voice of reason. >> don't give it all up. let's get right to that breaking news. the stunning twist in the case of olympic star oscar pistorius. bazi kanani has seen it all in the courtroom. she joins us now. good morning, bazi. >> reporter: george, a bombshell development in the courtroom today, when the prosecutor identifies their key witness, the lead detective in the case, is charged of murder charges. oscar pistorius and his family were looking more relieved today, now that the prosecution has been dealt this new blow. the detective faces seven charges of attempted murder, stemming from a 2011 incident, where he and two other police

officers were accused of opening fire on a minivan carrying several people. >> the prosecution has made the decision to charge the investigating officer, as well as two other officers, for the charge of attempted murder. >> reporter: prosecutors say they will investigate whether the detective should remain on the pistorius case. the bizarre twist, unraveling just hours after botha's muddled and confused testimony on wednesday. in court, pistorius argued he was closing his balcony doors, when he heard a noise from the bathroom. he told the court he grabbed a gun from under his bed and fired through the closed gatt room door. but prosecutors say that's implausible, because the hollister was found on the side of the bed where steenkamp slept. and he would have seen she wasn't there. this morning, this exclusive photo of what they say pistorius kept on the night stand of his bedroom. keys, a tv remote, a watch, and a handgun. the photo taking during a photo

shoot for "paris match" magazine. the associated press also reported that pistorius applied for six gun permits just three weeks before the shooting. despite those reports, reeva steenkamp's cousin told piers morgan she wants to believe pistorius' story. >> that's what i want in my heart i wish was the truth. i wouldn't like to think my cousin suffered. >> reporter: based on the known evidence at this point, they say there's no proof that pistorius killed his own girlfriend. the prosecution is expecting to get its closing arguments later. and they are expected to reiterate that pistorius has a history of violent threats. and they believe he's a flight risk because he has the means to live abroad. robin? >> thank you so much. for more, let's bring in "gma" legal analyst, dan abrams. this detective facing murder charges of his own. how could this affect the case?

>> astonishing. you're talking about the highest-profile case possibly in the history of this country. and a lead detective facing seven counts of attempted murder and the prosecutors didn't know about it? this is something that happened ten days before this incident. so, this is certainly a huge development. but more important is going to be, how does it impact his credibility? he is absolutely crucial to the prosecution's case here. he's the one whose talking about the ballistics. he's the one whose talking about how far away witnesses may have been who claim to have heard a fight beforehand. that's why he becomes such an important witness. now, the prosecution has to make that decision, do we want to keep him on the case at all? >> we heard in bazi's report about his testimony and how shaky it was, to say the least. and what you're saying is going to draw into question what he has been investigating. >> absolutely. and the police will have to make a fundamental decision if this guy is going to be able to stay

on this case. but i think you're right. that's much more important, which is, is his account of 600 meters versus 300 meters away, where these ear witnesses were, credible? what about the very important ballistics evidence? it's very important for premeditation. were the bullets coming from above, where he might have been wearing his prosthetic legs? or below, which would be his story, he wasn't wearing them? all of them are important questions. premeditation is crucial to this bail hearing. if magistrate believes there was premeditation, it will be very difficult for him to get bail. >> and risk of flight. we keep hearing that phrase over and over again. >> that's why i'm starting to lean towards thinking that he's going to get bail. if the magistrate wasn't giving that a real shot, meaning, if the magistrate was ruling out the possibility of bail, i don't think there would be so much focus on risk of flight. i think now he has a pretty good shot of getting released on bail

before this trial. >> we should find out soon. >> a lot of dramatic twists there. we're going to turn to the extreme winter weather raging across the country. a huge storm stretching from arizona all the way to illinois. sam, of course, tracking it all. sam, this one already deadly and posing so many different kinds of threats. >> george, it's had tornadoes, snow, blizzard-level snow, thunderstorms involved with this. thundersnow, now showing up. if we watch this radar roll through the hour, we'll show you almost 3,000 lightning strikes from texas to oklahoma and wichita. this is a very powerful system. the warnings extend in 20 states. you go from the west, all the way, now, spreading east, to virginia and west virginia, right now. we've shown you there's some very heavy snow falling in wichita. but we're getting the kick in topeka, as well. our ginger zee is there for a storm that will have everything. good morning, ginger. >> reporter: good morning, sam. we've got that full-on snow globe look here in topeka.

and our friends in wichita already broke a century-old record, with more than a half a foot of snow just yesterday. and of course, it's still snowing and will all day today. here in kansas, much of the state is getting pounded with heavy snow. at least one person was killed after sliding off the road. and look at that bus. it rolled over and off the road in russellville, arkansas, seriously injured the driver and three children inside. overnight, cars were spinning out of control in denver. and hundreds of flights have already been canceled. the stranded on the highway stories are already trickling in, after some kansas highways were shut down. >> it's too icy. people are spinning off the road. >> reporter: in phoenix, arizona, they saw more snow than they've had in the last 15 years. and about 100 miles away in tucson, the opening round of the match play championship was suspended, when the green turned white. look at this time lapse video. that's in just two hours. >> i never actually played golf

to the point where we've actually stopped for snow. >> reporter: when we were flying in, there were deep cracks in the earth. and we saw that. that's the droug. so dry. so, every, single flake, very welcome in this part of the world. sam? >> yeah, ginger. it's going to be a rough day for them. we saw the same thing on twitter. it'soo dry, people are glad to get anything they can. ginger zee, in for a rough 24 hours in the middle of the country. here's where the ice -- we'll break this up in chunks for you. in this area, little rock, to where the ice storm warnings are, through missouri. we've spread it to indianapolis, cincinnati and into western virginia, as well. then, there's accumulating snow. this is a 6-inch to 12-inch snowfall in the places shaded in pink. some places will come up with 20 inches of snow. and the southern side has strong thunderstorms that will be rolling through ft. worth, then dallas, then louisiana.

not only do they carry the powerful, strong winds. we may see one or two tornadoes come out of it. >> that is a violent map. sam, thanks very much. let's get more breaking news. josh is here. out of syria. >> breaking. and our terry moran is in the middle of it all, inside the war zone, telling us about the massive bomb that struck a crowded and densely-populated neighborhood in the capital of damascus, not far from a busy mosque and a school. several children are among the dozens of people killed in the attack. and terry joins us, now, from a location not far from the bomb site. good morning to you, terry. >> reporter: josh, this was just a huge explosion. some kind of carbomb devastating these apartment buildings. blasting the road to shreds. and we're told there was a school behind where the bomb exploded. many of the dead were children coming in or out of that school. this has become a regular occurrence in damascus now. the giant carbombs, one of the biggest we have heard of.

we believe we heard other explosions. this is a city where the war is closing in. in some ways, damascus is becoming more like baghdad. we hear from the residents, the point of this is to terrorize them, to get them to come to their knees. but the spirit in the face of something like this is defiance. another day of death in damascus. josh? >> terry, thank you. and please, be safe. terry will bring us reports throughout the morning as developments warrant. he'll have reports on tonight's "world news" and later on "nightline." meanwhile, back here at home, a plane ran off the end of a runway at an airport in eastern georgia overnight, crashing into the woods and killing five people onboard. the pilot is believed to be one of two survivors in the crash. the plane, actually similar to the one you see here, was flying in from nashville. and newly-released video shows the moment that gas explosion tore through a kansas city restaurant and shopping complex on tuesday. one body has been found.

but there are fears that at least one more victim remains buried in the rubble. a construction crew apparently struck a gas line, setting off the blast. and lance armstrong, now, backing out of his plan to cooperate with u.s. anti-doping agents. he had until wednesday to testify under oath about his drug use, which could have helped reduce his lifetime ban from sports. but amid concerns about his criminal and civil liability, armstrong said through his attorney he'd only testify at an international tribunal. however, at this point, no such tribunal, in fact, exists. he was once a rising political star. now, former congressman jesse jackson jr. faces up to five years in prison, after admitting he spent some $750,000 of campaign funds on personal items. items including a fur coat, an apartment, a rolex, even a fedora once worn by michael jackson. he apologized for letting down the people of chicago. and a highly-respected

former senator, pete domenici of new mexico, revealed a secret. he fathered a child in the 1970s with the 24-year-old daughter of a senate colleague, paul axle of nevada. domenici has been married for more than 50 years and has 8 children with his wife. take a look at this image. nasa calling the colossal sunspot. the dark, black spot, still growing. it is already six-times the size of earth. there are concerns it could send massive solar flares our way soon. one would argue it looks suspiciously like -- >> magma. okay. >> that one, you did make up. >> did you find that story -- >> i will say this, that's terrible. i'm sure we're good here. but that's really terrifying when you hear about that disruption. >> the size of it. all right, josh. thank you. >> you bet. now, to a huge headline for everyone driving.

gas prices are skyrocketing so fast, there's new warnings about a possible $5 national average for a gallon of gas. cecilia vega joins us from los angeles with the latest. good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: good morning to you. and from all of us here in the land of sky-high gas prices, welcome home. it's so good to hear your voice. take a look at this. deja vu. higher than $5 a gallon in downtown l.a. with prices this high this early in the year, analysts are wondering if 2013 will be the year of record-high pain at the pump. the prices just keep going up and up and up. the increase so steady, today, we may just be the 35th-straight day of rising prices. they jumped nearly 50 cents in just 5 weeks. that increase from last month to now doesn't just seem huge, it is. that's the biggest month-to-month rise in gas prices since june 2009, when the country was still in the

recession. so, what's behind this pain at the pump? it may be cold out now. but refineries are already making us switch to summer blends. many are performing expensive maintenance. and oil prices are up. >> the good news is, though, before we hit those highs of 2011 and 2012, aaa expects that prices will start to plateau and start to go south. >> reporter: and that is good news for drivers, who say they can't take much more. >> there's not much i can do about it. so, i just have to -- >> when you're a handyman and using your own truck, your own gas, it hurts. >> reporter: it hurts so much, one car dealership owner in sacramento now requires anyone on a test drive to fill her up before returning to the lot. there are a few ways to put the brakes on the hefty gas bills. aaa says drive the speed limit. maintain proper tire pressure.

and accelerate gently. some drivers have their own solutions. >> not going to drive as much. going to be more conservativcon. going to use the bicycles more. >> reporter: california has the highest gas prices in the continental united states. wyoming has the cheapest. with prices like these, it's no wonder drivers are nervous about what the rest of the year is going to look like. >> thanks very much. we're going to turn to homemade video, raising questions about airport security rules and common sense. it happened in st. louis, with a family heading to disney world. their 3-year-old daughter is confined to a wheelchair. you may not believe what happened to her at the check when they got there. gio benitez has the story. >> reporter: right now, the question. was tsa protecting our skies? or did agents go way too far? it's the kind of story that has people shaking their heads. and this is why.

listen, as little lucy says something it's hard to imagine any 3-year-old thinks. >> i don't want to go to disney world. >> reporter: what made the toddler so distraught, her parents say, was this. >> it's illegal to do that. >> reporter: a run-in with tsa screeners at missouri's st. louis airport, as the family was heading to orlando on vacation february 8th. >> to me, it was pretty offensive because i was really tuned in when she said that, immediately, i'm like, hold on. something doesn't seem right. so, i did tell her that i was going to wait. i was going to grab my phone. >> reporter: annie schulte says it started when tsa agents asked to pat down lucy, who is disabled and to screen her wheelchair. schulte wanted to tape it. but an agent didn't like it. >> i'm not going to let anyone touch my daughter without being able to record it. >> my daughter was singled out

because she was in a wheelchair. >> reporter: but the final straw was at this moment, when agents refused to return her stuffed animal. >> you can get lamby in a minute, okay, baby? >> reporter: overnight, the tsa apologized, telling abc news, it, quote, regrets inaccurate guidance was provided to this family during screening. the family says it accepts the apology. but wants screeners to receive more training to prevent this from ruining another vacation. and the story does have a happy ending. take a look at this. they did make it to disney world. and lucy got to meet mickey mouse. but still, they believe tsa agents need to learn more about how to treat children. >> well, they did get an apology at least. gio, thanks very much. let's get to sam and the rest of the nation's weather. >> we're going to talk about the snowstorm a little bit. if chicago gets two to four inches of snow, would be their biggest snowstorm of the season.

there's certainly cold air. just haven't had much. 2.4 inches of snow in chicagoland. now, we've got some cold air moving in. we know that most of this moisture in the northern part of the country will definitely form into that snow. and the middle of the country, form into ice. and southern section where's it's warmer, the powerful storms. 13 is the morning windchill in chicago. 13 in louisville, as well. look at the west coast. we point out where the weather's nice. and some of us, all of us, are going to california for the oscars. and the oscars weather, ladies and gentlemen, looking really good. almost 70 degrees on sunday.

>> good morning. start, 26 degrees. the wind chill factor, 16. feels like 12 degrees in gaithersburg, 14 in 14 at dulles. mostly sunny today, looking good, but breezy. highs in the low 40's, feeling through much of the day. sleet possible friday afternoon. rain showers on saturday. >> all that weather, brought to you by royal caribbean cruises. in the middle of the country, snow, accumulating ice, thunderstorms. it's a lot. >> it is february. coming up on "gma," bombshell of the so-called breakup murder trial. the dramatic testimony about what really happened the night jodi arias' boyfriend died. lady gaga out of surgery. her message about how she's

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. 7:26 on this thursday. i am cynne simpson. it has been a busy and a morning for area firefighters. newschopper 7 was over the scene

building at a vacant rock branch on parkway. injured.ers were sparked thehat fire. a house fire has devastated a glenarden family. man and two children died after flames broke out early leslie avenue. woman and two children hospitalized. a firefighter suffered minor injuries. word on what sparked the fire. will have more information coming up in a live in a few minutes. let's get a check on good morning commute with jamee whitten. >> good morning. 270 through germantown and gaithersburg, there is a crash south of shady grove road before 28. cleanup continues on the left side. cleanup underway. a long line in germantown.

interstate 95, a crash in springfield is gone. off and on delays in dale city. forecast. >> lots of sunshine. a beautiful start. 26 degrees is the temperature, but you will need to bundle up chill factor is 18th in d.c. -- 18 in d.c. we will make it between 40 degrees and 45 degrees today. sleet possible tomorrow. light rain on saturday. >> thanks so much.

♪ i'm on top of the world come on. give me a little carlton dance. come on out here. get on out here. >> that was robin walking into the studio yesterday. you can see the energy on her face. and the smiles on the faces of the crew. everyone, so happy to welcome robin back yesterday, after 174 days, 5 months to the day after her bone marrow transplant. a lot of love in that room yesterday, robin. >> oh, boy. we had one camera for every day you were gone. rolling on everything. we also have tweets coming in. this is from paige chance, so

great to see you back on "gma." a true steel magnolia. >> love it. >> proud to call you one of our own. we have a lot more from yesterday's homecoming. again, from the moment you hit the curb, it was incredible. >> i thank everyone. and i should have had a party for you guys, really. i mean, what you did -- it was just a lot of fun. the fist-pumping got me in trouble with doctors. i'm supposed to do the elbow, not the fist. this morning, i'm sure i'm going to get another e-mail. >> you definitely are. >> i know. we all are going to have to do that. but we want to give you a big hug. instead, we're just dancing. you'll see it all. and you ask for normalcy and normalcy you shall get because we're doing a lady gaga story. gaga on the edge of recovery. thank you very much. >> i get it. >> the superstar, just out of surgery and speaking out

overnight. speaking of overnight, there will be an overnight flight involved when "gma" heads to the oscars, ladies and gentlemen. two, big oscar stories as we count down to oscar sunday. a hilarious one with seth macfarlane and how he's getting ready. and this may not be hilarious, but it may be. it's abe lincoln like you've never seen him before. like you've never seen him before. >> no video provided right now. let's get right to the new drama in that so-called breakup murder trial. after more than a week on the stand, jodi arias' emotionally testifying about what happened the night her ex-boyfriend died. abc's ryan owens has that story for us. >> just pointing at him. and i didn't even know that i shot him. it just went off. and he was -- he lunged at me. >> reporter: an admitted killer explaining why she killed. >> i can't mean to shoot him or anything.

>> reporter: a sobbing jodi arias told the jury wednesday about the day she shot and repeatedly stabbed her ex-boyfriend, travis alexander. she says, after snapping these pictures of the mormon businessman posing in the shower, she dropped the camera. >> he lifted me up, as he was screaming, that i was a stupid idiot. and he body-slammed me, again, on the tile. >> reporter: the 32-year-old said she ran to his closet, grabbed the gun and accidentally shot alexander because she feared for her life. but the real shocker is what arias didn't say about that fateful day in june of 2008. >> do you remember stabbing travis alexander? >> i have no memory of stabbing him. >> that's right. the woman who has been on the stand for eight days, recounting the minute details from a decade ago, drew a blank about stabbing her ex-boyfriend. >> the most clear memory i have after that point is driving in the desert. >> reporter: travis alexander's

family sat in disbelief. they and the jury have heard arias first tell police on this interrogation tape, she didn't do it. and now, in court, he newest story. that she killed in self-defense but doesn't remember the details. >> i don't know if i blacked out or what. there's a huge gap. >> reporter: perhaps if the jury finds her convincing, they will spare her the death penalty if she's convicted. but this morning, the man who believes she should die, the prosecutor, will begin his cross-examination. he argues arias is a cold-blooded murderer who keeps lying to save her skin. expect fireworks in court. for "good morning america," ryan owens, abc news, phoenix. let's get more on this, now, from our legal team. nancy grace, the host of "nancy grace" on hln. and dan abrams, back. nancy, i'll toss it up to you. she doesn't remember. >> well, before i address jodi

arias, just to you, robin. i'm loving you across the miles. welcome back, friend. >> oh, thank you. >> now, to jodi arias. your question, george, thank you. i watched arias in court. i watched her on the stand. very carefully. this is the inconsistency. well, first of all, there's a lot of inconsistencies in her story. inconsistencies that don't match up. i've got the medical examiner's report right here that says, that indicates, the gunshot wound was after the 29 stabbings, including ear-to-ear slashing. so, her story, said they were self-defense. and she doesn't remember pulling the trigger and shot him first, doesn't jive with what the m.e. said. but my original thought was, after all these days of minute testimony, right down to a four-cheese omelet she had five years ago, to where she leapt, to where she stopped for a diet coke, all the way to the fact

that after the murder, she had a cosco bottle of water out in the desert, where she threw away the murder weapon. how can she go blank when she pulls his head back and slashes him from ear-to-ear? that's not the kind of thing you forget. >> dan abrams? >> look, nancy's right. tough credibility. almost impossible fact. and yet, i'm still going to say that i think that all that considered, she was as good a witness as she possibly could have been. >> with bad facts? >> with terrible facts. but she cried at the right time. she basically said she tried to cover up the crime at certain points, making concessions. she's looking at the jurors at the right time. if anything was going to work, in this case, i think she did it as well as she could have. >> and failing to remember, is the only possible way -- >> if she said she did remember, she would be in more trouble than to say she doesn't

remember. >> you left something out, dan. i love the part on the stand where she says he beat her before and she got a broken ring finger. when she gets to testifying and telling the lies, she accidentally lets it straighten out. i think that one, little detail, we should focus on. >> the real question is going to be, did her testimony enhance her chance of possibly bonding with a juror or two and get a hung jury or a second-degree murder chance? or did she enhance her chance of getting the death penalty because the jurors are listening to her saying, i don't believe a word she's saying? >> nancy, you've been keeping a close eye on this jury. >> yes, i really have. what disturbed me was a lot of them were taking notes, fast and furious. when she said, quote, everything is a big gap. the defendant, co-defendant,

eyewitnesses that were involved in the crime, mysteriously have a memory lapse or look the other way at the precise moment of the knifing or the shooting or the drug transaction, that's exactly what she did. and when she said she forgot, the jury actually put down their pens and pencils and sat back and went, what? >> what are they going to write down? she forgot. >> and she faces cross-examination. >> she lies. she didn't forget. she lies. >> we have to go. thank you both very much. let's get the weather from sam. >> twitter pictures flying in from kansas. wichita getting a hit of snow yesterday. a daily snow. we think you'll total out a foot of snow. kansas city will get 9 inches. if you g 9.2, it's your third-biggest february ever. it weakens as it goes towards the great lakes. but in its power, it will have heavy snow in the north, a line of accumulating ice in the middle of the country. that includes arkansas and

central and southern missouri. and the thunderstorms that light up during the day in texas. after they move through dallas, they move in a line, we think to louisiana or mississippi. this is a real player. now, we're starting to see those warnings come out of west virginia, come into the the system will head toward bring us a chance of rain and light sleeps late tomorrow. 26 right now. wind chills 18. slet >> just a quick look at how much of the country is underneath that powerful storm today. all that weather was brought to you by lifestyle lift, everybody. >> walk and talk. >> it makes you move. >> just a little bit, sam. >> the workout for the day. >> nice try. nice try, sam. coming up, lady gaga, out of major surgery for her hip. and revealing how she's feeling right now. come on back to "good morning

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back, now, at 7:43, with the latest on lady gaga. the superstar out of surgery this morning, after a major operation on her hip. it's the injury that caused her to cancel her entire tour. and now, she's revealing how she's feeling. abc's chris connelly has the story. ♪ baby i was born this way >> reporter: maybe her hip was

torn this way. the labral tear in her right hip, forcing lady gaga to cancel her tour. and on wednesday, going under the knife. >> the hip joint is a complex joint. there's a lot involved in this surgery. and a lot involved in recovery. >> reporter: on her way into the o.r., gaga sent this i'll be kind tweet to her little monsters. going in for surgery now. thank you so much for sending me love and support. i will be dreaming of you. prior to getting her procedure, gaga named her wheelchair after a fan. tweeting, this is emma. but it's clear being out of commission turns the "bad romance" singer into ga, ga, yaey. i'm devastated and sad. i hate this. i hate this so much. but once in recovery overnight, it was all about the love. telling her little monsters

online, i love you and i'm proud to be a part of your lives. if you can do it, i can do it, too. gaga figures to be on track for a full recovery. but is looking at plenty of rehab. >> the physical therapy and rehab is extensive. >> reporter: still, gaga's fan base will be filled with that you and i feeling. >> as much as they love her, she loves them right back. ♪ you and i >> the rehabilitation or recovery after this type of surgery is generally around four months. after that period of time, the expectation is no limitations. >> reporter: no limitations for lady gaga? ♪ i'm on the edge of glory ♪ >> reporter: for "good morning america," chris connelly, abc news, new york. >> if only he could have heard that bell ringing. there was a lot. very impressive. we wish gaga the best. and coming up right here, the brand-new pictures that reveal harry's in love. is he? we have the party prince

pictures. and we ask the question, has he finally met his match? >> love is in the air. and "play of the day." did josh find the craziest ping-pong shot ever? freeze it. ♪ i'll take the sun ♪ and watch it surround you ♪ when we sail into the sun ♪ into the suuuun... ♪ when we sail into the sun ♪ into the suuuun... ♪ sail into the sun

[ all kids ] twooooo! [ moderator ] you sure? i am absolutely positive! [ little boy ] two times is awesome. the thing i can do is wave my head and wave my... that's amazing. i've never seen anything like that. look i can do -- hold on -- i'm watching this. i'm getting dizzy... [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. doing two things at once is better. and only at&t's network lets you talk and surf on your iphone 5. ♪

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right then, here's "the play of the day." >> we should use a little "sportscenter" sting. but this will do, as well. "the play of the day" is a play, from the great sport of table tennis. ping-pong, you might know it. this might be the best ping-pong shot. this is an actual competition. watch the guy in the blue. >> no way. >> seriously? >> behind the back. and he actually looks away while he does it. his opponent gave him a little clap. it was terrific. we could watch it over and over again. however, we want to get to what's ahead on the show because

scientists apparently have proven -- >> what have they proven? >> they have proven that they know now why women talk more than men. >> what? >> excuse me? >> do women talk more than men? >> i don't know. it's science. that's what i'm told. it's just science. see? we had this wonderful, one-day honeymoon of robin being back. and now -- now, you'll notice they're not speaking. >> we're going to let them talk it out. we'll be back. go nowhere. ♪ you signed up weeks ago

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. on this thursday, february 21. good morning. i am cynne simpson. the maryland house of delegates hearinge will hold a today on a bill that would number of early voting centers in the state to 59. and the legislation adds more lettions in heavy -- populated areas. house democrats leading a on house the will affect the economy. take effect on march 1 from left the white house and congress find a way to stop them.

if they go through, the d.c. hard.ould be hit news channel 8 will have an in- depth report on the impact at the top of the hour. here is jamee whitten with what's happening on the roads. >> rock creek parkway, all lanes , athe southbound direction reported after beach drive merging onto the parkway. coming offis needed connecticut avenue. we have delays after the across thessing 110 14th street bridge. 395.ic cannot get to in springfield, a longstanding crash is gone. jacqui jeras has a look at the forecast. >> it's a beautiful day. on the chilly outside. very few clouds. we will see more sunshine than anything today. degrees. a wind chill of 18. 11 in hagerstown, 14 at dulles.

culpeper feels like 20. mostly sunny today. be breezy. temperatures will make it in the 40's, but it will feel like 30. tomorrow we could steal little sleet mixing. >> thanks for joining us. sleet mixing. >>[ woman ] boyfriend and i were going on vacation, so i used my citi thankyou card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? and with all the points i've been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot, even on a holiday weekend. ♪ things are definitely... looking up. [ male announcer ] with no blacut dates, you can use your citi thankyou points to travel whenever you want. visit citi.com/thankyoucards to apply.

[ cheers and applause ] arts and crafts, at work again in our crowd. >> it looks like fun. >> it certainly does. first one down the hill. >> that's great. >> oh, i've fallen. >> good morning, america. so great to be back. and thank you all again for all of the love. >> it was such a great day yesterday. want to show you behind-the-scenes video. there's josh and his little blanket. not supposed to get a hug. but you're going to do it there. and then -- >> just like a little kid yesterday.

>> the dancing broke out. it was nice. >> it was great. >> that was the morning meeting yesterday, right? >> yeah. we get a lot done, as you can see. >> calisthenics. and we have more tweets. kirstie alley tweeted this. glad you got your hot self back on the show. are you sure you weren't off dancing in vegas? and kisses and hugs. and also jillian, not only did robin roberts return to "gma." she did it in rockin' heels. >> she did. she wouldn't have had it any other way. >> i thought about the froggy slippers. >> did they go on after the show? >> oh, 9:01. >> as well they should have. it's a topic that made the desk silent this morning, ladies and gentlemen. who really talks more? is it men? possibly women? it's brand-new, scientific

research. get out your bunsen burners. >> studies. >> the findings coming up. >> look at you two, talking away. >> if i must talk, i will. we're counting down to oscar sunday with our very own party this morning. we have five great flavored popcorn. and they are sriracha. did i say that? sriracha lime sesame. rosemary brown butter and lemon. s'mores. and bacon. and parmesan garlic is down here. and i'm officially safe from vampires. really good stuff. and we also -- we're going to show you abraham lincoln like you've never seen before, from the "gma" actor's studio. a really terrific piece of work behind the scenes and interview you conducted, george. >> i heard he dug in.

he really -- >> the longest hello i've ever seen. but there's one more. >> wait, there's more. >> what would you pay now? and speaking of that. how about a blockbuster edition of "steals & deals." can you get ready for the red carpet on a budget? of course you can. we're going to show you how. let's get news from josh. >> we're going to go to south africa, as we begin with the major development in the murder case against oscar pistorius. it could be a major blow to the prosecution, as we learn the lead investigator is now facing attempted murder charges himself, stemming from a shooting in 2011. he could be removed from the case as early as today. as it's looking more likely that pistorius will be released on bail. pistorius claims he thought his girlfriend was an intruder when he shot and killed her in his

bathroom. meantime, the bail hearing took another turn today. a small demonstration outside forced a brief adjournment. we'll have updates as developments come available. a deadly winter storm bearing down on the nation's midsection. look at that. blizzard conditions possible in the plains as these scenes play out all across the region. the same storm could, in fact, trigger tornadoes in the south. sam has the forecast in just minutes. and we're following breaking news from the war zone in syria, as well. abc's terry moran in damascus this morning. reports that 31 people were killed there, many of them children, when a carbomb was detonated in a crowded neighborhood near a mosque and a school. the blast was so powerful, it was ten stories high. the rebels have long threatened to bring their fight to the streets of the capital. and terry will continue his inside reporting from syria. terry moran, stay safe in doing so. encouraging news for

coffee-locoffee coffee-lovers. a study of older americans found that three cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease and stroke by up to 50%. researchers have their theories. they admit they're not sure why the coffee is so beneficial. but you'll g happy to know we will all be living to age 106 out here. here's diane sawyer with a preview of tonight's "world news." diane? >> so, good morning, josh. and can i say good morning, again, to robin. and tonight on "world news," she knows all about this. the machines at the gym crunch your calories, measure your heart rate and tell you how far you've run, so they say. but how accurate are they? our team decided to check them out. >> i hope they're accurate. we always run 10 to 12 miles a day. take a look at this. could pro football finally have its first female star? 28-year-old lauren silverman, ready to break down -- that massive barrier.

early next month she's going to become the first woman to participate in one of the nfl's official regional scouting session. she kicked her way into the spotlight. if she passes the test, she could move on to a national scouting session in april. and you know what? 1 of those 32 teams out there could do better than giving her more than a passing look because she can boot that thing. i'm telling you what. >> see what happens. >> let's hope. >> let's hope. now, for some -- how do you want to say the news that goes pop? >> yes. >> the news that goes pop? >> yes. indeed, robin. let's begin with some oscars talk. anxious to hear your thoughts on this. it is illegal in vegas to -- i just spit popcorn. sorry for that. i might have been snacking. >> my eye. my eye. >> that was garlic popcorn, too. >> i'm a real mess. anyway. let's talk oscars. it is illegal far vegas casino to make money on oscars. but handicapper danny sheridan

believes he knows five of six of the winners at the oscars. he says daniel day-lewis and anne hathaway and "argo" are shoo-ins. he says best director will go to spielberg for "lincoln." tommy lee jones will get best supporting actor. and jennifer lawrence, still predicted to win best actress, but very, very close. >> interesting. >> it's exciting. >> it seems like it's so wide-open this year. >> i think best picture, i think that's still up for grabs. i really, really do. >> all so fantastic. we're getting ready to go for the weekend. it's going to be great. we have popcorn to spare. we've been talking about this morning, as well. is it finally love for the party prince? we've asked this before. >> once or twice. >> we've got some pictures of prince harry -- i know. prince harry taking a page out

of his big brother's book on this one. prince william and kate for snapped. and harry hitting the slopes with his rumored flame. he's a 20-year-old model claimed cressida bonas. harry is on military leave. what better way to get a little r&r than snuggling in the snow. >> harry likes the blondes. it seems that way. >> i would say that you are accurate. >> enjoying his life. >> 1 or 2 or 17 times we've seen this. this next story -- well, listen. lots of story about dressing for the oscars. a win-win for everybody. but if you're planning on taking a loner, may we suggest that you don't return it like this. let's show you -- that's how it came back from lindsay lohan. here's the before. >> oh, no.

>> she wore that dress to an amfar event. and decided it should be a minidress. the dress designed by thea, worth $750. maybe now, it will be half price because she only returned half the dress. the designer not very pleased. just a note if you're going to borrow, just return the whole dress. >> maybe we don't lend dresses -- >> that is -- oh. how about some weather, sam? >> let's get to the boards. we'll show you what's going on. how about, josh, one or two things we'd like to share with you. >> okay. >> we'll start with where the ice is falling out of the system. we told you about the snow. but there's a half-inch of ice. northern arkansas, southern missouri, and as far north as st. louis will get the ice. this is the kind of ice that can take down trees, power lines and forget about the roads. and the warnings are spreading east, as well. this is where the heavy rain is

falling. we're looking at new orleans to jackson today. and then, that mobile to atlanta tomorrow. notice that that is a heavy hit of rain. now, some areas in the south definitely need this. but this is one, big troublesome storm in the country. and a brand-new one enters into morning, start this looking a beautiful day. showing amplea sunshine, 26 degrees with the of 18.ill of us feel in a wind chill in the teens. hagerstown, 14. 13 in winchester. 20 in culpeper. the forecast, mostly sunny and breezy, 40-45. feeling like 30 today. sleet >> digging into the spicy popcorn. lara, are you ready to share with us what's going on next on

"gma"? >> i'd rather -- yes. i'd rather eat popcorn. here's what's coming up on our "gma morning menu." such a glorious welcome back on wednesday. we have some big moments to share with you that you didn't see during robin's incredibly happy, happy return. and also, who talks more? men or women? the scientific research that reveals the answer. and red carpet ready on a budget. "deals & steals." it is our oscar edition. you will not believe the bargains that tory has found. all coming up, on "good morning america," live in times square. ♪

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hey, robin. from "the newsies" of broadway. welcome back to "gma" and seize the day. >> that's right. seize the day. >> yes. >> for all of us. >> no matter how cold it is outside. spirit award for that audience. what an audience it was yesterday. came by the thousands to see you. and we saw so much yesterday on the show. your return. thanking the doctors and nurses who got you through the tough time and all the rest. but there were cameras rolling when we were not actually on television. >> oops. scary thought. >> so, we thought we would compile a bit of a highlight package as well. take a look and a listen. >> there you go, baby. >> five.

four. >> hi. it's robin. and i have been waiting 174 days to say this. good morning, america. >> reporter: alight with gratitude, our own robin roberts made her way back to the anchor desk. >> thank you, sir. i love this. >> reporter: at long last, her remarkable journey had finally brought her home. but no one could see in front of the camera what we saw behind the scenes. until now. >> here i go. put me in, coach. i'm ready to play. did you really have it on the countdown clock? >> the mayor said i had to put it up in times square. >> and drop the ball? >> reporter: i wrap you in love. >> what are you wearing? >> what are you wearing? >> let's do it.

>> don't work it all out. save it. save it. >> how do you feel? >> i feel -- >> you feel? >> i feel. ooh, cat calls. good morning. you're on my turf. i was on your turf. >> reporter: after months of courageously willing her body to match her spirit -- >> let's do this. >> reporter: -- robin's presence, strength -- touched everyone around her. defying expectations, one elbow-bump at a time. sure, on camera, it was business as usual. >> an abc news exclusive. >> reporter: but off-air, all-smiles. >> i have been waiting 174 days to say this. magma. that's for the christmas reel. >> reporter: closing a chapter in a story with an arduous journey.

>> i feel like this is my third week of life. and i said, i want to go back to work because of the people i work with. and the work that we do. and we're just getting started. >> reporter: and a fresh start. >> i love each and every one of you. and onward and upward. >> that red velvet cake was so good. >> cake boss was proving it yesterday. it's great to have you back. it's great to have you back. >> it just seems like old times. i said that. i think it really shows people, this, too, shall pass. i'm so grateful for, today especially. yesterday was, like, it was wonderful. and thank you, thank you, thank you. and today, just coming in and doing my job. >> you did your job yesterday. we all know. we take a day off. you take a week off. those first few minutes on the air were always rusty. you walked right into it.

>> a little on the cold open. but settled all in. but i'm really thankful that abc wanted me to do a special. and they wanted me to do it before i came back. i said, no. i want people to see that i'm doing well. the special that airs on friday night, it goes there. it really shows what it took to get here. all the people who helped me. >> friday night, a special "20/20" at 10:00, 9:00 central. i have to ask -- make sure you see this because if it's possible to actually think more of you and the journey you just walked, you will. so -- >> great family and friends. thank you, all. >> life, love, power, presence. >> we're lucky people. we love you. now, let's talk about who talks more. >> i love that transition. >> men or women? we've been talking about it all morning long. me and robin were not going to talk during the show to prove.

but it didn't seem right. we're going to look at a brand-new study that seems why we are hard-wired to say thousands more words on men. i know. we sent nick watt to investigate. >> i'd like strawberries instead of raspberries. >> i'm going to share with you right now. >> reporter: and then, there's clint. >> clearly, women speak more than men. >> reporter: clearly? >> clearly. every hairdresser in the world can tell you that's probably true. >> reporter: that's not misogynistic or mean. we took a random two minutes of "kelly & michael." kelly uses 43% more words than michael. that guy is eloquent. one researcher claims 20,000 words a day on average for a woman. 7,000 for men. i do spend a lot of time listening to my wife.

>> i have this thing with my sister. >> reporter: and in my line of work, i do meet some chatty kathies. >> she didn't come into the office and say, i'm going to lose this weight. she actually started doing it. i have one of those hollywood food delivery services. >> reporter: is it a date movie? >> it could be. it could be a date movie. >> reporter: now, they say it might be a protein. foxp-2, which is essential for speech. scientists at the university of maryland did exploratory research of rats. based on what they saw, they say women may have more of that speech protein than men. we did our own scientific survey in santa monica. from the looks of it, they were talking a mile a minute. >> downstairs. >> okay. >> reporter: down the street at esquire -- >> we don't talk about feelings in the barbershop. unless you feel like talking about sports. >> reporter: maybe we men should talk about emotions. anyway, i wonder why men and women might not band this way.

>> it's believed back when men had the big guns and they controlled everything much more than they do today, the only weapons women had were their wits and their words. >> reporter: interesting. night, night, sweetheart. >> night. nick, i just realized you have to -- >> reporter: "good morning america," nick watt, abc news, los angeles. >> you all were talking throughout that whole piece. now, all of a sudden, you have nothing to say? we're not buying it. we're not buying it. but we are counting down to oscar sunday with "deals & steals." our friend, tory johnson, is back with great gifts that will make you feel like a star. go to our website, goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! for all of the promo codes and links to get the bargains. you keep going. >> i love hearing you say those words. we were talking about the last time i did a segment with robin was the day before she left. and now, i'm so lucky to do it

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>> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. i am cynne simpson. 8:27. ing for familying famil glenarden -- glenarden. but firefighters suffered minor two children have died and others are in a hospital. board is out with a best instates that did last year's advanced placement tests. maryland the tops the list. second, followed by massachusetts, florida, and virginia. than 29% on a public high students in maryland or higher.score of 3 in the district, fewer than 10%

did. cracked let's take you on 66 beltway, a little volume in falls church. jammed over the teddy roosevelt bridge. on student east st. expressway. in vienna. there's an vienna try to avoid 123 northbound at maple avenue. longer be stored there. >> beautiful sunshine. not seeing any clout. degrees with the wind chill of 18. pretty much everybody feeling the teens this morning because of the breeze. it feels like 15 in frederick, 22 degrees in quantico. mostly sunny in 3-d today, highs like the, feeling 30's. sleet possible late

tomorrow. >> -- a little

[ cheers and applause ] ♪ i want to dance and love ♪ all bundled up outside. look how hot on the dance floor. melissa rycroft, finale of "dancing with the stars" last season. she blew it out that last night. and we're just days away from finding out who is heading to the ballroom this spring. >> we are exclusively revealing the brand-new cast of the upcoming season on tuesday from los angeles. sam and lara will stay behind on monday for the big reveal. i know you're looking forward to that. >> can't wait. it's also our huge "gma" dance party on tuesday. we'll be up bright and early with that big announcement. >> dancing with the popcorn, i suspect. brooke and todd will be there. they'll be joining us. can't wait to find out who the

stars are headed to the ballroom. we'll find out who the pairings are. >> i haven't heard rumblings. >> they're really -- shh. >> you have to watch tuesday to find out, all of it. also ahead today, friend of the program, stanley is here. a twist on the classic story. we're all getting ready for sunday night, hollywood's big night at the oscars. >> you are really mowing on that popcorn. it's everywhere. we're counting down to oscar sunday this morning with the host of hollywood's biggest party, seth macfarlane. he's the funny man behind some of the craziest comedy on tv and in the movies. and our amy robach. you went out there. got the nitty-gritty. >> rough trip to l.a. horrible weather out there. seth macfarlane is prepping for the biggest live performance of his life. and while his professional success has made him an

estimated $100 million at the age of 39, he's very aware of just how much is riding on his oscar night delivery. >> i'm seth macfarlane. >> reporter: it is hollywood's biggest night. and as a first-time oscar host, potentially 1 billion eyes will be on leading man, seth macfarlane. have you thought about what the critics are going to write? >> oh, yeah. no matter what i do, i'm going at minus ten. >> reporter: do you have a favorite host as you look back? >> i think johnny carson is probably the gold standard. i don't think letterman got a fair shake. i thought he was really funny. >> reporter: they like to assign superlatives. what do you think yours is going to be? >> most astonishingly,

dazzlingly mediocre. >> reporter: but his talent for voicing characters is unremarkable. he's the creator and the unmistakable voice of "family guy." >> brian, please say over when you finish talking. over. >> what? over. >> reporter: and the creator of this summer's raunchiest teddy bear, ted. >> i'm a former celebrity in a minimum-wage job. this is how the cast of "different strokes" feels. there's a lot of voices inside of you. have they always been inside of you? >> in one form or another. maybe not necessarily those particular voices. but in one form or another, the voices have been there. >> reporter: you're like a male cybill? do you have a creative outlet for them? >> a male martin lawrence. you never know what form it will come out in. >> reporter: he's not only a host, but also a nominee. nominated for this original song from "ted." ♪ everybody needs a best

friend ♪ >> reporter: congratulations. how do you feel about that? >> i'm actually genuinely -- you know, i know we're going to lose to adele. but i'm genuinely excited. >> reporter: you say you know you're going to lose. but have you rehearsed the speech just in case? >> no. >> reporter: he has a few other oscar predictions. who do you think is going to sob during their acceptance speech? >> alan arkin. >> reporter: who is going to show more leg than angelina jolie next year? >> academy president. >> reporter: and who will seth macfarlane insult the most this year? >> russell crowe could take some lumps, right? >> reporter: and how far will he go? is anything off-limits for you? >> there will be -- i can't think of one thing. >> reporter: everything's on the table. >> yeah. >> reporter: fair enough. i would suggest everybody fasten their seat belts. we had some things we couldn't put in the interview. a lot of things we couldn't put in the interview.

we'll see what happens when there's a seven-second delay or not. i'm not sure. it will be interesting. >> i think he'll go for it. >> what's he got to lose? >> thanks, amy. let's keep the countdown going. we have a new visit to the "gma" actors studio. we had a go with our version of the tiger from "life of pi." a testy interview with the teddy bear star of "ted." >> potty mouth. >> now, something a bit more elevated. my sit-down with our star of "lincoln." >> this nation, under god, shall have a new birth of freedom. a government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. >> there had to be a lot of challenges to shoot. >> ah, challenges offend thee. i was wearing this.

give them a little shock. hello? i had a lot of lines. and not a lot of time to memorize them. have you ever tried to memorize one of my speeches? take five. almost 90 years ago, our -- no. 87 -- no. ah. four score and seven years ago. >> how did you get into character? >> makeup is key. you're probably wondering, where's my mustache? >> abe, let's get going. you're late for the chute. i only just shaved my mustache. >> this may be hard to report. but i heard reports that you were difficult on-set. >> would i lie to you? i'm abraham lincoln. can we speak honestly. >> bottom line, are you going to win the oscar? >> why wouldn't i win the oscar?

i mean, what more do i have to do? okay? i'm on the penny. all right? i'm on the $5 bill. the movie's called "lincoln." i do love that daniel day-lewis. vote for abe. the future of a newly-united country. >> is there an air of continuity? >> i will tell you this. i was channeling sam. >> why bring me into this? i'm not the one that did abe from london. >> i love my mustache. >> i'm sorry? >> any shot here? >> say again? >> any shot with josh and acting? >> i went away for a minute there. i didn't really see everything. >> stanley, you were transported, as was -- >> i was. and i love that -- i had no idea that lincoln had a british accent. it's incredible. you found stuff that -- >> i felt we needed to know once and for all why there is no

mustache with the beard. >> right. yeah. >> late to the set. >> real acting, tune into the oscars this sunday, at 7:00 p.m. eastern, 4:00 pacific. sam, save us all right now. >> it was the fumes of the shaving cream. right after that came the british accent. abe from london. let's get -- by the way, we have a sneak peek from our friend, jimmy kimmel. right after we do the oscar show and that stuff right after local news, jimmy is going to do an all-star lineup for a big, oscar special. take a look at some of the things that are playing. >> sir, render attack. >> attack by what? >> everything. >> what's up? >> they're too -- >> "movie the movie: 2v."

>> jimmy has a much bigger budget than "gma's" actors studio. that's what i'm learning right now. and we can tell you that robin roberts is going to be on that show. >> not behind the green screen. no green screen involved with jimmy kimmel. i'm looking forward to it. >> after oscar sunday, february 24th. after your local news and 10:00 p.m. pacific on abc. let's get weather in here. we'll start with your twitter and facebook pictures. how about missouri? a live shot you sent us this morning. light snow falling early in the morning. this is the system that left that snow in tucson and a lot of places in the west. now, it starts to head east. there's that mix of ice and snow there. the west coast gets a shot of warmer air when that moves out. conveniently located, saturday and sunday, right in time for oscars. and all the preshow. and the festivities. we'll have a beautiful, beautiful day. meanwhile, difficult day with the thunderstorms as it leaves east texas, into louisiana, into mississippi. a long line of storms that will be rolling and roaring most of

the day. i'm really concerned about that ice. we're talking ab sunshine this morning, but the temperatures are very chilly. withgrees in washington 18.wind chill of highs will make it into the low 40's. >> all that weather was brought to you by target. as if we haven't embarrassed him enough by shaming his craft and profession, stanley tucci may stay here and talk to us live on "gma."

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we're back, now, with stanley tucci, starring in the brand-new movie "jack and the giant slayer." a surprising twist on a classic tale. so delighted to have you with us on this oscar celebratory day. >> yeah. >> as a nominee, this is an exciting week, i would imagine. >> it is. it is. it's very exciting. not for me because i wasn't nominated this year. but thanks for bringing it up. >> "lovely bones," everybody. my favorite movie of all-time. in these last few days, what's it like for the nominees? >> it's thrilling. you know, the hollywood award season kind of goes on forever. it's really tiring. but it's really -- it's actually

really, really fun. it's really fun. >> i want to talk to you about "jack and the giant slayer." this is a modern take on the classic tale. for one, there's more than one giant. >> many giants. big, incredibly-designed giants. >> and big, you are not. but you're a bad, bad guy. you play roderick. i want to show everybody a clip. i believe in this, you're trying to rescue the princess from the giants. but you have a bit of an agenda. >> i have an agenda. well put. >> let's take a look. >> well done, roderick. have them released at once. >> i'm talking to giants now. by the way, darling, the wedding's off. so, visitors, i bring you the gift of freedom. tonight, we feast. but tomorrow, we shall return below, with me as your new king.

>> josh sort of sounded like you. you have said about the role -- >> i always look to him for -- >> well, you guys, i know you study together. >> creative inspiration. >> the character roderick, in this film, you said, if you are not booing roderick, i have not done this job. how much fun was it to play this bad guy? >> it was great fun. i got to wear a wig, which is always fun. fake teeth. always fun. and a cheap british accent. it was great. >> good times had by all. you are also coming up on two other huge films. "the hunger games," the next installment. and also, "the percy jackson series." >> that's right. i only do big movies now. that's it. >> we understand. we, too, as actors, only do big movies. and we're so taken by your performance in "the hunger games," we want you to see our version. a very important scene. >> really? >> yeah. we have some "b" roll of this.

jimmy kimmel is playing you in there. >> oh, my gosh. >> there's josh, again. >> on fire. >> i'm actually hot. >> i don't know how to respond to that. that's amazing. can i have a copy of it? >> yes. we will. "jack and the giant slayer" let's get back to this. my kids will love you. what draws you to the bad guys? >> if they're well-written, it's really, really fun to do. and the thing is, he has a sense of humor, a very dry wit. and that's attractive to play. and i never played the british baddy before. this goes back to the films with errol flynn and bazle wrathbone playing the sheriff. >> it's very funny. and you kind of steal the show.

>> oh. thank you very much. >> that's me saying that. >> i always like to. thank you. >> everybody, we thank you, stanley, for being with us on our tribute to all things oscar. please do check out "jack the giant slayer." it opens next friday, march 1st. and we will see you soon. come back in costume. >> i will. coming up, a

there is an old and inarguable saying that says, you don't want to get in the way of a mother. amen to that. and that's why the initiative to end pediatric aids has been called a mother's fight. with me, now, two moms with a common cause, finding a cure for that deadly disease. willow bay. and its ambassador, florence gobeni allen.

a mother whose personal story of resilience will inspire you all. elizabeth glazer was a looming figure in this fight. and, boy, we keep her memory alive with this. >> as you remember, she started the foundation, after she unknowingly passed hiv on to her two children. she lost her daughter, aerial. and she decided that no mother should ever have to lose a child that way again. since then, we virtually eliminated pediatric aids in the u.s., and the developing world. but around the world, 900 children a day are born with hiv. and florence and i and a whole lot of moms like us are not going to stop until that number gets to zero. >> florence, i know it touched your life. i want to hear your story. >> in 1997, i find out through my daughter who was 2 months old, that we were hiv-positive, myself and my husband. and a new months later, about three months later, we lost her. i made a vow that i will fight

for her. i'll fight for the wee with no voice and come across and share my story of hope. and you know, say we can do this. i was blessed with two children. i got married again. and my two children, my two sons, are 6 and 2. they're all tested hiv-negative. my fight is not a mother's fight in vain. it's a mother's fight to encourage other mothers that it is possible. we can eliminate pediatric aids. >> you see why we call florence our secret weapon? >> how did she become such? >> i met lawrence on my first trip to africa when i was learning about the disease. and i was blown away when i heard florence speak about her bravery and carriage, at a time when very few women dared to say they were hiv-positive. now, today, she is one of our most powerful voices. one of our most effective counselors in the field.

but also, her story is indicative of just how this convsation has changed. we are eliminating this. >> what more, then, can we do? what do we do to reach that? >> it's imperative we keep up the momentum. halfway there. we have half yet to go. join a mother's fight. go to amothersfight.org. share your story. >> it remains so difficult. but, boy, not for the efforts of the two of you. florence, it is phenomenal meeting you. thank you for being here. great to see you again. >> we'll be back when we're done, right? >> stay out of the way of these two moms, whatever you do. >> stay out of the way of these tw[ woman ] my boyfriend and i were going on vacation, so i used my citi thankyou card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? and with all the points i've been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot, even on a holiday weekend. ♪

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wow. >> boy, some of that video -- anyway. that's for another day. tomorrow on "gma," we're counting down to the oscars with our biggest preparty ever. the food, the fashion. what to watch for. >> and see you on sunday and monday. thank you for watching abc news. we're always online at goodmorningamerica.com on yahoo! fill up the coffee cup. "gma live!" is just a couple minutes away. >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. good morning. 8:56. i am cynne simpson.

the virginia house has passed a voter of to bring a photo id to the polls starting next year. 65-34 was the vote. passed thehas measure and now it heads to the governor. the online ticket lottery for the white house easter egg roll morning. 10:00 this it's open until 10:00 a.m. monday. it's free tickets. the event is april 1. we do have a link to the lottery wjla.com.t here's jamee whitten. clerk starting to see better movement on the woodrow wilson bridge in each direction. delays had been back to branch avenue. volume dissipating in oxon hill. maplenna, northbound 123 avenue, an accident has cleared, slow. is still there is sun glare.

66 is jammed coming out of the teddyover roosevelt bridge. parkway,shington there's a crash at the key bridge. >> it looks warm and pretty, but bundle up. degrees with a wind chill factor of 18. a couple 20's down to the south. we will feel like the 30's this afternoon as the temperature with mostly sunny skies and a breeze throughout the day. tomorrowsleet afternoon. us will season's rainfall in the metro. showers on saturday. we will be back at noon. "live! with kelly and michael" next. have a great day.